Floyd Mayweather Jr. actually wants Erik Morales–Arum
HOLLYWOOD—Bob Arum let the question hang in the air for just a split second, repeating it almost as if to build some sense of incredulity to highlight the seeming senselessness of it all.
“Do you know the ‘little fellow’ that they approached?” the unsinkable Top Rank chief said in front of reporters Saturday afternoon, referring to reports out of the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr. that it was setting a fight date with a “little fellow” on May, describing it as the biggest possible bout that could be forged.
The teaser titillated boxing circles that thought Pacquiao-Mayweather had finally been penciled next year.
“It’s Erik Morales,” Arum said, deflating the suspense and then lashing out at the decision of the Mayweather camp to chase a fighter other than Pacquiao.
“Erik will confirm it. He’s been approached to make the fight and he’ll take it for the money,” Arum said. “But I don’t know who’s going to buy it.”
Mayweather continues to bring up drug testing protocols to deflect a matchup against the reigning pound-for-pound king, despite the fact that the Pacquiao camp has already said it is amenable to that part of the undefeated American’s demands.
“He has no intention of fighting Manny,” Arum said. “He was on television last night and they asked him, ‘Why don’t you fight Pacquiao?’ And he says, ‘Take the test, take the test.’
“What the f*** is he talking about?” Arum lashed out. “Everybody knows that’s not an issue anymore. He will not fight Manny. Who cares? There are better guys out there for Manny to fight.”
Arum accused the Mayweather camp of resorting to “b*llsh*t” to get MGM Grand to agree to reserving May 5 for the fight by floating the “biggest possible bout” angle. But the Pacquiao promoter said it wasn’t a worrisome development.
May 5 is generally a sought-after date if a Latino fighter is involved in the main card, which would be the case if Arum’s Mayweather-Morales revelation is true. But it would not hurt Top Rank because Pacquiao is not being lined up “to fight a Spanish guy.”
“They want May 5 because they’re fighting Morales,” Arum explained.
Arum, however, said they’re not looking ahead at Pacquiao’s next opponent just yet.
